In the early 15th century Americans started traveling to Africa and capturing people to bring over here for slaves and labor. On the journey over here on the ships many cruel and un-Godly things happened to the slaves. Almost one-third of all the slaves that were captured never made it to America. The people who captured them would bring to many back on the ships. They would star to run out of food (most of the time it was only oatmeal, or mushed bread and water), and they would throw the smaller, weaker people over the side of the ship. To make sure they would die, they would tie huge rocks to their ankles. Usually the first to go were the women and children. There is an account of a woman who had a baby that would not stop crying for anything. The workers on the ship poured hot water on the baby to shut it up. When that did not work the made the mother whip the child herself. After all that did not work the decided to make the mother throw the child overboard.
            

These are just some of the horrible acts that took place. All of the importing of slaves stopped in 1808 when it was mad illegal. But the Atlantic slave trade was more that just the importing of slaves in America. The trade actually was an important means of communication for most of the world. The triangular trade became known when ships
             would leave from Africa, and then travel to the islands off the coast of South America.
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             Once there they would unload some of the slaves and then load lumber and sugar on the ship, which then headed north to America. After the ship was unloaded it was then sent back to Africa, where the process would start again.
             The excerpt that does along with the next portion of this paper was very disturbing and upsetting.
             John Peter Oettinger was a surgeon during the period of the Atlantic slave trade. His job was to inspect the recently bought slaves, and say if t...